If there’s one thing we know about Mexican culture, it’s that we love to celebrate. Our holidays, traditions, and celebrations are deeply rooted in fun and heritage. We honor our ancestors and our connections to the world around us year-round — and we celebrate year-round too! 

The party doesn’t stop after Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Here are just a few of the MexiCrate team’s fondest holiday celebrations that you’ll find in the beginning of the year, from the depths of winter to the earliest inklings of spring! 

Año Nuevo - New Year’s Day (January 1st) 

Like we mentioned in our last blog, New Year’s traditions in Mexico look a little different from what you’d find in the US or the rest of the world. On New Year’s Eve, we eat twelve grapes—one for every stroke of the clock at midnight—and throw a bucket of water out the window—to symbolize “throwing out” the year gone by and welcoming the New Year in. New Year’s Day, by contrast, is typically a day of religious reflection and quality time with family. It’s common to cook a big meal with family—not as large or elaborate as the Christmas meal, but still stocked with familiar Mexican dishes like enchiladas and tamales, then spend the evening telling stories and setting plans for the year ahead. 

Dia de los Reyes Magos - Three Kings Day (January 6th) 

Another holiday with religious and cultural significance to Mexican families is Dia de los Reyes Magos, or Three Kings Day. Also known as the Epiphany, this is a special holiday with its own fancy food—the king’s cake! Rosca de reyes is a crown-shaped cake meant to represent the Three Kings. Traditionally, Mexican chefs hide a small figurine or a coin meant to symbolize Jesus somewhere in the batter. Then, the person who finds the symbol of Jesus in their cake is blessed with good fortune in the New Year—and also selected to hold a fiesta on Dia de la Candelaria!

Dia de la Candelaria - Candlemass (February 2nd) 

So what is Dia de la Candelaria? Known as Candlemass in English, this unique religious holiday is celebrated in Mexico on February 2nd. A typical Mexican Candelaria celebration involves one of our absolute favorite Mexican dishes—tamales, handmade with care as a family. Everyone on the MexiCrate team has cherished memories of knocking elbows with aunts, uncles, and grandparents in the kitchen while shaping fresh masa and wrapping fillings in corn husks to make mouthwatering tamales. The person who found an extra blessing in their king’s cake on Three Kings Day typically hosts this gathering, and many Mexican families also attend specialty Candlemass services at their neighborhood church. 

Dia de la Constitucion - Constitution Day (The first Monday in February) 

Similar to the Fourth of July in the US, Mexico’s Constitution Day is a day of celebration for workers and families across the country. In 1917, Mexico’s constitution was officially passed into law, and we’ve celebrated Dia de la Constitucion on the first Monday of every February since. This day is characterized by neighborhood festivals and picnics, along with parades and parties in major cities. And like most Mexican holidays, it’s also a day for family gatherings—and lots of delicious Mexican food! 

Dia del Amor y la Armistad - Valentine’s Day (February 14th) 

Valentine’s Day, held on February 14th of each year, looks a little different in Mexico. There’s still all the fun romantic stuff between partners, like chocolate and roses and bursts of song. However, Mexican Valentine’s Day places a larger emphasis on the love between friends and family members. It’s common to send messages of love and appreciation to your platonic soulmates on Valentine’s Day in Mexico—along with a collection of Mexican candies and chocolates to impress your friends and sweethearts! 

Dia del Ejercito - Mexican Army Day (February 19th) 

This military-focused holiday is characterized by parades, flag raising ceremonies, and memorial services for fallen soldiers. Dia del Ejercito, or Mexican Army Day, was created to honor two major events in the country’s history: the Loyalty March of 1911 and the creation of the Mexican Army in 1913. Today, Mexico honors this day with tributes to the soldiers who keep Mexico safe.

Dia de la Bandera - Flag Day (February 24th) 

Finally, Mexican Flag Day is one of the last major holidays in February, celebrated on the 24th each year. This is a patriotic holiday—kind of like Memorial Day or the Fourth of July in the United States—where Mexican families hang Mexican flags in every window and wear the colors of Mexico in parades or festivals around the neighborhood. It’s tradition for performers in Flag Day parades to carry or salute the Mexican flag as they travel around the parade route. This day is also characterized by patriotic music, historical performances or lessons, and handing out parade favors like small flags, trinkets decorated with Mexican flags or colors, and of course, Mexican candies and chocolates. 

Whether you’ve been celebrating these Mexican holidays and traditions all your life or you’re experiencing them for the first time, it’s a celebrated truth that our fiestas and celebrations are full of fun and meaning! Wherever the holidays may take you this winter, we hope you’ll bring along a festive stash of Mexican candy. 

Shop our dulceria for your nostalgic favorites or explore something new and creative in our monthly subscription boxes. Your sweet tooth will thank you — and your savory and spicy teeth, too!